The field of the present invention relates to medical or surgical procedures. In particular, apparatus and methods are described herein for image-guided, extra-luminal occlusive procedures.
Occlusion of a vascular or non-vascular anatomical structure, either temporarily or substantially permanently, may be desirable or necessary for treating a variety of medical conditions. Anatomical structures that might be occluded for therapeutic reasons or as part of a procedure may include arteries, veins, varices, aneurysms, vascular malformations, fallopian tubes, bile ducts, ureters, appendices, and so on. Some of these anatomical structures can be occluded endoluminally, i.e., from within the lumen of the structure. Endoluminal occlusions are most commonly (but not exclusively) performed on vascular structures, with the occlusion site typically being accessed by percutaneous insertion of a catheter into a vessel and which is then advanced and guided through the vascular system to the occlusion site. The catheter may typically be guided through the vessels under two-dimensional (2D) fluoroscopic imaging. Once the catheter reaches the occlusion site, the vessel may be occluded in a variety of ways, including inflation of a balloon on the tip of the catheter, or by deploying a coil, glue, a sclerosing agent, an embolization particle, or other means.
Extraluminal occlusion of an anatomical structure (i.e., occlusion from outside the structure) may be achieved in a variety of ways, including surgical clips or staples, suture ligation, cauterization techniques (e.g., a so-called harmonic scalpel), clamps or hemostats, and so on. Extraluminal occlusion is typically performed with visualization of the structure to be exposed, either direct visualization via surgical exposure of the structure or laparoscopic visualization.